Not much can beat the combination of a cool autumn day and a nice bowl of warm soup.

On Oct. 6, both will be available.

Hershey Partnership will hold its ninth annual soup cook-off 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Hershey Volunteer Fire Company on West Caracas Avenue.

As in the previous years, all proceeds, after expenses are paid, will go to the Hershey fire company. This year, the funds will support planned fire station renovations, according to Ryan Brown, co-chairman of Hershey Partnership’s local links committee, which also will sell commemorative soup mugs, purchased with the help of local businesses.

Hershey Partnership, Brown said, recognizes the importance of the fire company to the community, especially after its response and support during last September’s flooding.

Each participant/chef must prepare enough soup for 400 samples to share with attendees, who will then vote for their favorite.

The event also will include fire trucks and displays from the fire company and door prizes and drawings for thousands of dollars worth of products from Hershey Partnership members. There will also be a grand prize drawing.

Last year, the event drew 24 chefs. This year, the goal is to have 20 to 30 professional and 15 to 20 nonprofessional chefs, Brown said.

Those signed up for the professional category this year include Fenicci’s of Hershey, the Soup Pot, the Bluebird Inn, Houlihan’s, Hershey Lodge, Devon Seafood, Hotel Hershey, Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey, Lancaster Brewing Company and last year’s champion, Hollywood Casino.

Thanks to the casino’s representative chefs, Kenneth Shapiro and Allan Rupert, the cook-off’s coveted traveling trophy is currently in its possession.

Their first time entering the cook-off last year, Shapiro and Rupert won for their cheddar and lager beer soup, served in a minisoft-pretzel cup, made by the casino’s executive pastry chef, Mario Stanzione.

This year, Shapiro said, they are entering two soups not on the casino’s regular menu: a spicy crab and corn chowder served in a minitortilla cup, also prepared by Stanzione, and a butternut squash and truffle bisque.

“Recipes are usually created from experimenting with different ingredients, and tweaking recipes,” Shapiro said, “as well as drawing off of past dining experiences, likes and dislikes, and just having fun playing with food and creating something good from raw ingredients.”

Shapiro said the cheddar and lager beer soup also won the second annual Cystic Fibrosis Soup Cook Off in March. They also will participate in the March of Dimes charity event at the Hershey Lodge on Oct. 8.

“As there is always a bit of a competitive nature to these events, it is fun and relaxing to get outside of the normal daily grind and enjoy a nice autumn afternoon tasting good soup and having a good time,” Shapiro said.

The top three chefs in each nonprofessional division of the event also receive awards.

Hershey Volunteer Fire Department volunteer Dennis Thompson said he hopes to win. His first time participating, he plans to enter a creamy, golden mushroom and roasted onion soup.

“I experimented a number of times and started serving the final version at our Thanksgiving celebration a number of years ago,” he said. “It has now become a tradition.”